Submarine signaling



2 w 3-59 an )2 3 Oct. 24, 1944. R. WILLIAMS SUBMARINE SIGNALING Filed March 22, 1941 INVENTOR ROBERT L. WILLIAMS BY M' %ORNEW Patented Oct. 24, 1944 SUBMARINE SIGNALING Robert Longfellow Williams, Newton, Mass, as-

signor to Submarine Signal Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application March 22, 1941, Serial No. 384,763

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to submarine signaling and in particular to the mounting of submarine signaling apparatus on wooden vessels to provide an improved condition for reception and transmission of signal energy.

The present invention may be applied not only to signaling in general, but more particularly to depth soundin in which the transmitting and receiving device, which may be a so-called transceiver, may have its diaphragm directed in a general downward direction. The invention particularly relates to keel mounting devices and differ from constructions previously used in the art in that the transmitting and receiving device is in itself constructed so as to cooperate with the keel and ship in the mounting construction.

The advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the description in the specification below when taken in connection with the drawing showing an embodiment of the invention in which Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the invention; Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the invention indicated in Fig. 1; Fig, 3 shows a section in the line A--A of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 shows a perspective as viewed from an angle to the bottom looking up in the direction of the keel.

In the drawing, I represents the keel of a wooden boat and 2 the hull. 3 represents the housing of the receivin transmitter and 4 a filler block filling in the space between the housing and the hull. The housing for the transmitter and receiver has at its front, a plate 5 at the base of which there extends at right angles a second plate 6. The housing proper 1 extends backward from the plate 5 and upwards from the plate 6 forming a, corner with the back edge of the housing proper flush with the back end of the plate 6. The top 8 of the housing proper is arched over, while arching continues from the edge 9 of the top flush with the fairing plate H) which comes down to a gentle angle with the keel I.

The fairing plates may be held by any means but preferably by the lugs l I countersunk in the fairing plate with the countersunk holes I2 filled in with a suitable plastic material. As will be noted from the drawing, the fairin plates are comparatively long and besides sloping gently from the curved surface 8 of the housing I to the keel, they are also provided with fiat faces extending flush with the surface which provides the radiating face l3 for the transceiver or transmitting and receiving device may be resonant at a chosen frequency, for instance, 3000 cycles or 5000 cycles or even within the super-/ sonic range.

The plate 6 is provided with two holes on either side of the housing 1 through which the housing by means of the bolts M is bolted through the keel with proper lock nuts I5, 15 fastened on the other side. A cover plate l6 may also be I placed over the bolts and extend in a gentle curve down to the keel so as to avoid unnecessary noise in the passage of the vessel through the Water. As indicated in the drawing, the filter plate 4 is coextensive with the continuous surface formed by the housing and the fairing plates and fits in between the hull 2 and the fairing plates It] so as to block on entirely any flow of water over the transmitting and receiving unit. The electrical connections to the oscillator may be taken into the boat through a stufling box IT in the hull, indicated in Fig. 3. The cable passing through this stufiing box may also be threaded through the filler plate 4, if desired.

The unit as mounted provides not only a sim. ple and efiicient mounting for wooden vessels, but also permits direct contact of the oscillator or receiving and transmitting unit with the water, at the same time avoiding practically all noises caused by the presence of the unit in contact with the water which might otherwise be troublesome under ordinary speeds. In addition to this, the construction provides a smooth, flowing water, free from air bubbles in the vicinity of the unit tending to preserve normal water pressures against the transmitting and receiving unit itself. The water conditions for sound reception may under some circumstances be en-] hanced by sloping the fairing plates l0 slightly upwards from the fiat plate 5, as indicated, more clearly in Fig. 1, in which case a pressure may be built up on the face of the oscillator when the vessel is under way. This slope should be gentle and at a small angle, as indicated, the angle depending to some extent on the normal speed which the vessel is to have. If the speed is greater, the angle is diminished.

As indicated also in Fig. 3, the filler plate 4 may be inclined upwards and extend outward from the unit so as to provide more gently sloping surfaces away from the oscillator housing.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. For use, in combination, with a keel of a wooden vessel, a housing for a transmitter and receiver of compressional waves, said housing but narrowing towards the keel. The transceiver 7 having a side thereof with a radiating surface therein, said side having its ends extended beyond opposite ends of the housing to provide flanges, said housing also having flanges on its opposite ends substantially normal to the abovementioned flanges and a fairing plate extending from each end of said housing and having en- I gagement with the flanges on said end, said firstmentioned flanges serving to support said fairing plates and said second-mentioned flanges serving to provide means for securing said housing to said keel.

2. For use, in combination, wtih a keel of a Wooden vessel, a housing for a transmitter and receiver of compressional waves, said housing having a side thereof with a radiating surface therein, said side having its ends extended beyond opposite ends of the housing to provide flanges, said housing also having flanges on its opposite ends substantially normal to the abovementioned flanges and a fairing plate extending from each end of said housing and having engagement with the flanges on said end, said firstmentioned flanges serving to support said fairing plates and said second-mentioned flanges serving to provide means for securing said housing to said keel, said fairing plates being wedgeshaped and tapering from one end of the housing to the keel.

3. For use, in combination, with a keel of a wooden vessel, a housing for a transmitter and receiver of compressional waves, said housing having a side thereof with a radiating surface therein, said side having its ends extended beyond opposite ends of the housing to provide flanges, said housing also having flanges on its opposite ends substantially normal to the abovementioned flanges and a fairing plate extending from each end of said housing and having engagement with the flanges on said end, said first-mentioned flanges serving to support said fairing plates and said second-mentioned flanges serving to provide means for securing said housing to said keel and a filler block filling the space between the hull, the keel, the housing unit and the fairing plates and forming a continuous surface with the sides of the fairing plates and side of the housing.

ROBERT LON GFELLOW WILLIAMS. 

